The day had been long and tiresome for the brave men and women of Division Four and Two. Doubly so for the latter Division that cleaned their own battlefield and assisted the former Division in both battle and the following cleanup. However, thanks to their combined efforts, both Divisions would be returning back to their bases tonight. That was music to Blossom Aisen's ears, who did not want to camp overnight because they could not tidy up fast enough. Division Two already left in their ships, heading back to their stations for some well-deserved rest. Before Division Four would follow suit, several officers, including Blossom herself, ordered the troops to have their ration break now before they departed.

"For all our advancements in tech, we still don't know how to make a decent ration." A soldier complained, but continued to eat his food nonetheless. "I'm not feeling any progress in our food department, Lady Purple Heart..."

"Hey, at least the drinks are pretty good." The comrade beside the other infantryman spoke, shaking the bottle in his hand for emphasis. "Makes it easier to down the rest of the stuff they give us."

Groups sat around bonfires that mages created from piles of wood that had been scattered along the ground as a result from the battle. Blossom felt a small amount of rejuvenation from eating her ration, but she still yawned. Sleep was the most necessary and natural way to recover stamina after an exhausting day and no amount of sodium intake could substitute it. She tossed what was left of her meal into the fire and it was incinerated almost instantly; one of Planeptune's innovation when it came to disposing of issued ration was that the material used to hold one's food burned really quickly.

"Blossom, your ancestors served during the active days of the Console War, right?" A mage asked who threw her own plate into the fire. "I remember you saying that once to the new recruits during basic training."

"Yes, my family has a long history serving in the military." Blossom replied to her subordinate. "First officer in the bloodline, actually."

"So that means your family has been to the other nations during the invasion attempts?" Another soldier inquired as more of the troops around them focused their attention on their superior. "Did they ever capture the enemy's ration, by any chance?"

"My grandfather kept a journal of his time during service before he passed away." Blossom answered as she thought back to her time as a child. "He did make a note of the enemy food he tasted when they raided enemy supply bases."

"You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention." The mage from before said, holding their bottle as if it were a glass cup. "Please do go on, if you would."

"Maybe another time." Blossom shook her head despite the disappointed groans. "I don't know about you guys, but I'd much prefer to sleep in our beds at the barracks than out here. Head to the bird in thirty, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Blossom stood up and covered her mouth as another yawn escaped her. She turned and walked towards the designated landing zones where their transport ships were docked. The civilian ships were long gone, but would be back in the morning to deal with containers filled with monster corpses. Barricades were still being patrolled, but by their own soldiers and not the law enforcements. Blossom walked up the loading ramp of one ship and into its cockpit to find only the co-pilot present.

"Where's your main operator?" She asked the secondary flyer.

"Out at the front logging something the maintenance crew should look at when we head back to base." The co-pilot told her as he straightened his helmet. "It's nothing that'll affect our ride there; just aesthetic issues with the plates is what he told me."

"All right, I'll hold you to that." Blossom nodded her head as she turned around. "Tell him to prepare the ship for takeoff, we're leaving in half an hour. That should be more than enough time for him to finish the report and prep the ship."

"Roger that, I'll let him know right now." The co-pilot turned on the communicator built into his headgear. "Hey, Blossom just gave the word to ready up for flight; what's your status, over?"

Whatever conversation the two had, Blossom would not know as she had already exited the cockpit. Stepping out of the ship, she looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Blossom's eyes landed on some crates that had yet to be loaded by another squad and seized the opportunity to hide behind them. Sitting down on the floor, she reached for her radio strapped to her waist and turned it on; a screen appeared and revealed a woman smiling mischievously at Blossom.

"Ryuka, you know you shouldn't be calling me on my communicator." Blossom chastised the woman. "Our conversation could be tapped."

"I know, but I went ahead and did so anyway; set your radio on vibrate too." Ryuka chuckled, knowing full well Blossom didn't mean her rebuke at all. "Besides, you should know by now that my people would never allow our conversations to be monitored by your tech guys."

"But there's a time and place for calls." Blossom shook her head and sighed. "You should already know that today has been rough for our army."

"Which is exactly why I called you." Ryuka rolled her eyes, her smile fading. "Honestly, you can't expect me to not worry about you when dozens of injured troops from your Division showed up at my workplace."

"How are they?" Blossom asked, wondering about the status of her fellow soldiers. She hadn't been assigned with the groups in charge of dealing with the deceased and wounded.

"Most of them will recover within two to three weeks, but a few weren't so lucky." Ryuka sighed as she looked away. "Casualties are unavoidable in any war. Even with our top-of-the-line machinery and combination of healing magic and medicine for treatment, we can't save everyone...no matter how much we want to."

"I know." Blossom closed her eyes as she offered a silent prayer to the fallen. Once that was done, she decided to change the topic that'll lighten the mood of the conversation. "How's Tsunemi been?"

"Oh, she called not too long ago." Ryuka smiled, happy to change the subject since it involved their friend. "Tsunemi and her friend Nepgear just finished up their showcase application today. They applied to Haneda's N.S. Academy."

"That's a good school." Blossom nodded her head in approval at the teens' choice.

"A completely unbiased opinion, I'm sure." Ryuka smirked and now it was Blossom's turn to roll her eyes. "After all, it has nothing to do with the fact we both graduated from that school."

"Definitely not the case." Blossom grinned, earning a chuckle out of Ryuka. "Jokes aside, we've come a long way, haven't we? You're a nurse turned doctor..."

"And you're an actress that became a military officer." Ryuka finished with a questioning tone. "It would have made more sense if you had become a director for movies and plays, to be honest."

"Probably." Blossom shrugged her arms, unable to give a proper response to that.

"Still, it's not like I don't respect your decision." Ryuka said, her concern apparent in her voice. "Sorry about that remark, I'm just-"

"That apology is unnecessary." Blossom understood Ryuka's worry. "A job as a director would be much safer and pay better. When I was still an actress, that was my dream at the time...and it still is."

Blossom stood back up on her feet and looked to her plane where she saw the missing pilot reach the top of the ramp. Before going in further, he stopped and turned around to see the approaching Nisa and Purple Heart. They talked for a few seconds before the pilot reached his hand up to his helmet and Blossom looked back at the communicator to see an incoming call on the side of Ryuka's screen. The two both knew this chat needed to be finished now and Blossom would have to end it.

"But I wouldn't be able to live a content life if I knew I could make a difference in protecting people's lives like you and Tsunemi."

Ryuka's reaction to Blossom's final exchange indicated success, if Ryuka's pleased smile was anything to go by. Once Ryuka ended the call on her end, Blossom holstered her communicator and hurried her way over to the mercenary and goddess. The pilot was the first to notice her and lifted his hand up to his helmet and ended the call on Blossom's radio.

"Lady Purple Heart, were you looking for me?" Blossom saluted the CPU, announcing her presence to the pair. The pilot had disappeared into the plane, no doubt getting the ship ready for launch.

"I was." Purple Heart motioned her hand to the mercenary. "Nisa will be offering her services to Division Four's operations and battles against the monster threat. She'll be receiving a modified version of the radio we use so you and other officers within your Division can call on her when you're prepping for a mission."

Before the question of who would be filling out paperwork concerning payment, Purple Heart was quick to answer before Blossom could even ask.

"Concerning the matter of compensation, it will not be necessary; Nisa has graciously volunteered to work without a reward."

Blossom nearly lost her composure from the sheer shock of the news just given to her. She looked to Nisa and the blue-haired heroine seemed to understand the gaze Blossom was giving her; Nisa nodded her head to confirm what Purple Heart said was true. Why would a Lastation native and mercenary be willing to work for a different nation's army for free? Blossom could only assume that the conversation Nisa and B-Sha had with Purple Heart had something to do with Nisa's free service.

"Glad to have your skillset, Nisa." Blossom offered the mercenary her hand to shake. "Welcome to Division Four."

"Thank you." Nisa shook Blossom's hand with an earnest smile on her face. "Looking forward to working with you more!"

"B-Sha will not be such a special exception." Purple Heart spoke again. "As she is not part of Nisa's agreement, B-Sha will be paid properly whenever she aids us."

"Under-"

A loud beeping noise interrupted Blossom; the culprit proved to be her radio. When she looked to see who was calling, the person on the screen this time was the Oracle Plutia. The small woman wasn't alone; she appeared to be in a meeting room with commanding officers well above Blossom's rank talking in the background. There was also a young brunette who wore a pair of leaves on her head like a bow; she was sitting in a chair fiddling with a phone.

"Hello, Blossom." Plutia greeted her with a wave. "Have you seen Lady Purple Heart? I've been trying to contact her where Iris last spoke to Lady Purple Heart, but she isn't responding."

"I'll put her on." Blossom glanced at the person in question and held out the radio to Purple Heart. "It's Miss Plutia, my Lady. She wants to speak with you."


In an alleyway, a green-haired girl wearing an open hooded jacket appeared out of thin air. The device on her arm crackled with electricity, causing the young woman to disappear and reappear constantly. She yanked the device off her arm, staying visible permanently as she stared at the defective tool. The girl's glare was a combination of annoyance and disdain before storing the contraption in her jacket pocket. She exited the alleyway and walked the streets of Planeptune like any other citizen. Reaching into her pant pocket, she took out a phone and dialed in a number.

"Warechu, it's Linda." She spoke into the phone, intending to leave a voicemail. "Your equipment broke down again. Sound dampener failed three months ago and now the power supply. This one lasted four months longer than the previous one. Ship the next one out in a week at the usual spot."

Linda closed her phone and put it away before breaking into a jog at the sight of an apartment complex. She entered the reception area and noticed the desk clerk waving for Linda to come over. Linda wasn't sure why the receptionist wanted to speak with her. As far as she knew, Linda paid her rent on time like any other tenant and nobody suspected her of being involved in criminal activities.

"Hello, Linda." The woman greeted her with a courteous bow before opening a drawer containing a package. "A courier came by and dropped off this box for you. When I asked who it was from, they never said; only that you would know who it's from. They paid me a modest amount of credits to give it to you as soon as you returned."

The receptionist took the case out and handed it to Linda. The wrapping was mostly blank white, but there was a small drawing of a light red bow on top with two dots on each side of the bow. Linda chuckled, but a small smile made itself apparent across her face. She waved goodbye to the desk lady and headed up a flight of stairs to the next floor. Linda stopped at a door and took out an ID card, hovering it in front of the scanner above the doorknob. An audible click followed and Linda entered the room, the lights automatically turning on.

"I'm h-" Linda stopped herself and shook her head before closing the door behind her.

Linda's apartment was nothing too extravagant; there was a widescreen television and couch for a living room, a small kitchen right behind it, and another door leading into her bedroom. There were some clothes on the couch and a closed laptop on the low table in front of the couch. She sat down on the sofa, placing the box right next to the laptop. She opened up the portable computer and turned it on, letting the laptop load while she got to work on opening her package. Inside the box was a neatly folded bandana with a heart on it; one side was colored red and the other half yellow.

"Aw hell yeah, this looks fucking sweet..." Linda muttered with a delighted grin, wrapping the kerchief around her neck.

A window popped up on Linda's laptop screen followed by a ringing noise. Linda turned to the computer and clicked the accept button. A small black screen covered up a part of the right top corner of the monitor and revealed a gray mouse with red eyes yawning. The mouse had a pair of goggles above his head and the background behind him suggested the rodent was in a workshop.

"I got your voicemail." The mouse spoke and held up a copy of the gadget that was inside Linda's jacket. "I'm going to do some experiments and see to improving the durability further, chu. I can't make the shipping happen in a week."

"Hey, Warechu." Linda pointed at the neckerchief on herself. "Chuko sent me this. She send anything to you too?"

"She did." Warechu put down the device and showed a shiny new toolbox with unused equipment in it. "Bought me some high quality tools and materials from Lowee, chu. That's why your replacement is going to take longer."

"Guess I won't be doing any high risk contracts until then." Linda leaned back against the couch and turned on the TV to a music channel. "Have you thought of what to give Chuko back?"

"Hm...nothing is coming to mind right now, chu." Warechu shrugged and sighed. "Why does she have to always do this every couple of months? Does she even know how hard it is for people like us to come up with gifts?"

"I think it's kind of nice." Linda scratched the back of her head. "It just means she still thinks of us even after we went our separate ways-Oh, hold up, looks like someone wants to join us for a group chat."

Unlike Warechu's request for a call, Linda's mouse moved of its own volition and pressed the approval button without her consent. This startled Linda, but not as much as the person that appeared on the screen besides Warechu's window. A woman wearing an eye-patch with long pink and bright pigtails smirked as she winked with her visible eye. Warechu and Linda mimicked the same reaction by widening their eyes, their mouths agape and trying to speak but nothing audible left them.

"Warechu, Linda...It's been a while, hasn't it?" The woman said. "You two look like you're doing well for yourselves. However, I think you could do even better if you were serving a cause worth following."

Linda was the first to recover as the shock was replaced with anger. She slammed her fists on both sides of her laptop. Linda glared at the woman as she gritted her teeth. The music that was playing on her television had suddenly become very irritating. Linda quickly turned it off with the remote, closing her eyes as she took deep breaths. However, what the woman asked next caused Linda's eyes to snap right open again.

"You seem a bit perturbed, Linda."

"A bit?..." Linda uttered out softly before letting out a forced chuckle. "No, I'm absolutely unhinged right now."

"Do you have any idea how long it has been, chu?" Warechu asked, who had broken out of his stupor. He looked as livid as Linda, though being a mouse, it wasn't as intimidating compared to Linda's expression.

"You left us without saying goodbye!" Linda all but shouted at the top of her lungs as she stood up. "Where the hell have you been, Magic!?"

Magic's face turned from slightly amused to quiet and stoic. Warechu seemed at a loss of what to say, remaining silent and observant. Linda was panting from the amount of power she put into the shout. She couldn't care less about the complaints she would receive later because all that mattered to Linda right now was Magic's answer.

"I've found my purpose." Magic replied calmly as she extended her hand out on her side of the screen. "I can't tell you where I am right now or what I'm doing, but if you can fulfill a certain task for me, I can offer you a place in the organization I'm in. Only then can I explain everything to you."

"Organization, chu?" Warechu asked as he scoffed. "If we've known each other for as long as I think we have, I remembered you saying you would never serve anyone."

"This is different." Magic answered with a shake of her head. "What I'm doing will affect the nations-no, the very foundation of Gamindustri as we know it. When we succeed, nothing will be the same ever again. I'm offering you a place besides me in this revolution. We can work together again like we used to."

Linda sat back down as she contemplated what Magic just said. A part of Linda was still angry, but the way Magic spoke about the people she was working for; Linda had never heard such a devoted side of Magic before. Whatever Magic was doing with this group must have been really important to her that Magic was willing to drop communications with Warechu, Chuko, and herself for years. This naturally piqued Linda's curiosity and judging by Warechu's expression, he appeared interested as well. Linda and Warechu exchanged glances and nodded before Linda looked at Magic and gave her answer.

"...I'm listening."


Marvy called the medical staff to inform them that Falcom was awake. That had been about forty minutes ago and during their wait, MAGES. had reappeared with food from the outside. However, MAGES. had not expected to see Falcom awake to greet MAGES. and dropped the bags she held. Were it not for Marvy's quick reflexes in grabbing the bags before they hit the ground, Marvy wouldn't have been able to enjoy her precious Futomaki rolls. A doctor finally came in and performed a quick examination on Falcom before coming to the conclusion that Falcom should at least stay for the night. After that, Falcom would be free to leave after signing the proper discharge papers for her release from the hospital.

"Whoa, MAGES.! That's your third can!" Falcom exclaimed as she watched MAGES. pop another soda can open. "What's the rush?"

Falcom remained in her bed, but a built-in tray attached to her bed was placed in front of her for her food. It was large enough for Marvy and MAGES. to sit near the bed and use it for their own meals as well. Food was good in lifting the mood up and that's what Marvy felt Falcom desperately needed as a distraction after their 'moment' before. If things were so serious all the time, Marvy wouldn't know how to keep her smile up.

"She visited the dentist three months ago on her trip back to Leanbox." Marvy answered while MAGES. guzzled down the beverage. "MAGES. had a lot of complications from her addiction to Doc P, so they placed a temporary spell on her taste-buds that caused her favorite drink to taste like really bad medicine. At least until they finished up their cleaning of her mouth."

"But now I am free from that nightmare!" MAGES. stood up and declared proudly before sitting back down in her seat. She then sighed as her shoulders slumped in defeat. "...At least until my next dentist trip back to Leanbox."

"Is Doc P really that great?" Falcom asked, looking at unopened drinks besides MAGES.

"Let me put it this way, Falcom." MAGES. perked back up and pointed at the Doc P can in her hand. "I love Doc P the way Marvy loves her Futomaki. If there was ever a nectar bestowed upon us from the goddesses, it would have to be none other than Doc P."

"I-if you say so..." Falcom chuckled nervously, finding MAGES.' dependency on Doc P a little unsettling.

"Oh? Were those not good enough examples?" Marvy giggled as she leaned forward. "Then how about this one, Falcom? MAGES. loves Doc P just as much as...you love writing your secret novels. Though I guess they're not so secret now, are they?"

The redhead's cheeks matched the color of her hair as she looked away bashfully. Marvy hadn't meant to discover Falcom's hobby, but it happened on one training day in particular. Falcom had forgotten some of her belongings and Marvy gathered them up to give to her later, but the cover of a small journal caught her eye. It didn't look like a diary; not when it had a title, cover page, and small description in the back like any other novel. Marvy read the first few pages and though she was no expert in literature, Falcom certainly had the potential to be a great novelist. Maybe after Falcom retired from the Gamindustri Guild properly, she could follow that passion even further.

"You're trying to become a writer? I had no idea, Falcom." MAGES. said as she stacked her now emptied can on top of another. "But I suppose that makes sense; quite ingenious, actually. Gamindustri Guild offers you travel, danger, and excitement into the unknown. Convert your tales into words on paper and you've got yourself an adventure book."

"It's just a hobby right now." Falcom looked back at the two with a sheepish smile. "I still don't know about turning it into a profession yet..."

"Well, you still have plenty of time to decide what you want to do." Marvy grabbed one of Falcom's hand and clasped it as she smiled at the redhead. "Just make sure it doesn't end up being something you regret never doing, okay?"

"I know." Falcom nodded her head, returning the same beaming expression back at Marvy. "Thanks, Marvy."

MAGES. opened her mouth to say something, but stopped and stood up. This naturally caused Marvy and Falcom to look at MAGES. who moved to the window. A bright purple light flew by and its destination was the Basilicom building in the distance. Marvy came to the immediate conclusion that was the Planeptune CPU and a certain friend of theirs would be meeting the goddess very soon.

"I'm guessing...I won't be able to see IF for a while, huh?" Falcom spoke up as the light-hearted mood shifted, much to Marvy's own displeasure.

"Unfortunately, yes." MAGES. returned back to her seat. "She really wanted to stay and see you when you were awake, but IF knew the information we had couldn't wait."

"About how the monsters are created, right?" Falcom knew the answer because she had woken up during Mary's call with Cybercon. "So how are they made?"

"From what we know so far, there are these discs capable of summoning monsters instantaneously." MAGES. explained as she took off her hat and cleared her throat in preparation for more talking. "The disc we saw was placed on a pedestal, though whether or not that'll apply to any more discs in the future remains to be seen. It absorbed and reflected my magical spells, but IF destroyed the disc using her katars."

"So if these monster-summoning discs can create monsters, where did the Virals come from?" Falcom asked, earning a raised brow from Marvy and MAGES. "When IF and I first entered the Virtua Forest, we saw the normal monsters under attack by these purple versions of themselves. The normal ones would then be turned into one of the Viral kind. IF named them 'Virals' and I think it suits this new type of monster."

"Ah, I understand what you mean now." MAGES. snapped her fingers at the revelation. "The disc is also responsible for that as well. I faced a Guard Vermin with IF that had suddenly died in battle, but the disc reacted to its death and the Guard Vermin rose up from the ground recolored in purple. Its defense increased exponentially, but when we destroyed the disc, it fell for good. Very interesting...so if the normal monsters are being attacked by these Viral variants, then there must be a difference in their biology that causes them to become predatory to their other selves. But that still doesn't explain..."

Towards the end of her last sentence, MAGES. started to mumble and lose herself in her own musing. This was all very interesting to Marvy, but there was something else on her mind that was bothering her. On their walk back to Planeptune, IF had said during her recount of her escape that she had seen another Guard Vermin body on their way out and assumed that Falcom managed to defeat it on her own. Not that Marvy didn't believe IF or in Falcom's ability; Marvy was the one who trained Falcom, so she was proud of Falcom's feat in defying the odds that was stacked against her taking on such a strong creature on her own. What Marvy wanted to know was how Falcom defeated the Guard Vermin.

"Speaking of Guard Vermins, Falcom..." Marvy paused until Falcom's eyes focused on her. "How did you defeat one on your own?"

"Oh, I activated my Awakening ability."

That one line silenced MAGES. immediately and left Marvy frozen stiff. Falcom raised an eyebrow at the two and waved her hand in front of Marvy's face. Without a word, MAGES. activated her telekinesis to move the tray of food out of the way. When Falcom opened her mouth, she quickly shut it as Marvy latched onto Falcom, squeezing her in a tight embrace. Falcom felt something wet touch her shoulder and quickly realized that Marvy was crying. Confused, Falcom looked to MAGES. for an explanation and the grim expression on the spell-caster's face quickly told Falcom she did something she shouldn't have.

What MAGES. said next shook Falcom to her very core.

"Falcom...Using that power is essentially a kill switch. You should be dead right now."